Seattle, WA area
- Thread starter SkuttleFunk
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SkuttleFunk
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how about a little bit-o-metallic pine green goodness on this US holiday :glasses9:
Regenerator™ 5.2
(seen here just before the nut and strings were installed)
- Alder body finished in pine green metallic
- BM/BM neck with matching headstock
- custom dual coil pickup set
- passive Vol + Vol + Tone (0.47uf)
- Hipshot hardware
- custom polished stainless control plate and no pickguard
- Dunlop strap locks
- 9.5 pounds fully loaded
and a quick peek as it looked fresh from the paint shop (no, that's not me in the image)
this bass heads out for a gear review session next week. I'll post a link to the review once it's been posted on-line
all the best,
R
Regenerator™ 5.2
(seen here just before the nut and strings were installed)
- Alder body finished in pine green metallic
- BM/BM neck with matching headstock
- custom dual coil pickup set
- passive Vol + Vol + Tone (0.47uf)
- Hipshot hardware
- custom polished stainless control plate and no pickguard
- Dunlop strap locks
- 9.5 pounds fully loaded
and a quick peek as it looked fresh from the paint shop (no, that's not me in the image)
this bass heads out for a gear review session next week. I'll post a link to the review once it's been posted on-line
all the best,
R
SkuttleFunk
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Regenerator™ 4.1 on the final assembly bench this weekend ...
- Alder body with Candy Apple Red metallic mist finish
- Maple/Rosewood neck with matching CAR headstock and satin finish
- custom split-P pickup set
- Hipshot bridge and tuners
- custom polished stainless control plate (placeholder plate in this image)
- black/mint/black pickguard
this bass will be available in the next week or so once it's completed final set-up and QA
I also have a near identical black version of this bass just about to hit the bench. Outside of it being a different color, the most notable other difference is that it will be sporting a Tort pickguard
all the best,
R
- Alder body with Candy Apple Red metallic mist finish
- Maple/Rosewood neck with matching CAR headstock and satin finish
- custom split-P pickup set
- Hipshot bridge and tuners
- custom polished stainless control plate (placeholder plate in this image)
- black/mint/black pickguard
this bass will be available in the next week or so once it's completed final set-up and QA
I also have a near identical black version of this bass just about to hit the bench. Outside of it being a different color, the most notable other difference is that it will be sporting a Tort pickguard
all the best,
R
SkuttleFunk
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Regenerator™ 4.1 on the initial assembly bench this weekend ...
- Poplar body with gloss black finish
- Maple/Rosewood neck with matching black headstock and satin finish
- custom split-P pickup set
- Hipshot bridge and tuners
- custom polished stainless control plate (not installed yet)
- Tort pickguard
this bass will be available in a couple weeks once it's completed final set-up and QA
I'll note that my Artistic Director is having issues with the Tort pickguard clashing with the Rosewood fretboard. The pickguard for this bass may just get swapped out for a Black/w/b pickguard before it is added to available inventory
If you have a pickguard color preference for this bass, feel welcome to post it
all the best,
R
- Poplar body with gloss black finish
- Maple/Rosewood neck with matching black headstock and satin finish
- custom split-P pickup set
- Hipshot bridge and tuners
- custom polished stainless control plate (not installed yet)
- Tort pickguard
this bass will be available in a couple weeks once it's completed final set-up and QA
I'll note that my Artistic Director is having issues with the Tort pickguard clashing with the Rosewood fretboard. The pickguard for this bass may just get swapped out for a Black/w/b pickguard before it is added to available inventory
If you have a pickguard color preference for this bass, feel welcome to post it
all the best,
R
AprioriMark
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Colored pearloid! Blue or green.
-Mark
-Mark
SkuttleFunk
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something new fresh off the CNC table this week - a HD foam 'Barney' proofing body for my new 6-string single-cut bass model
this is a commissioned build for a lefty player based out of Nashville, TN and Ft Worth, TX
the easy part is done now that the CNC paths for the body have been validated, so it's time to move to the more difficult task of bringing the neck to life and validating those CNC paths prior to making the real neck
all the best,
R
this is a commissioned build for a lefty player based out of Nashville, TN and Ft Worth, TX
the easy part is done now that the CNC paths for the body have been validated, so it's time to move to the more difficult task of bringing the neck to life and validating those CNC paths prior to making the real neck
all the best,
R
DangerousR6
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pretty cool, although i don't really care for the shape. But HD foam is fun to work with, and that doesn't look like a lefty body to me... :dontknow:
SkuttleFunk
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the first wooden proofing body has been completed. it has yet to be detailed, so it's still pretty rough compared to what would head off for paint.
I proof all of my designs in their righty configuration first, and once all is good I morph the design into a lefty configuration and repost the new tool paths
now it's time to turn my attention on finishing the last couple neck CAD design details so I can focus on generating the CNC code and initial proofing units
all the best,
R
I proof all of my designs in their righty configuration first, and once all is good I morph the design into a lefty configuration and repost the new tool paths
now it's time to turn my attention on finishing the last couple neck CAD design details so I can focus on generating the CNC code and initial proofing units
all the best,
R
DangerousR6
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Very nice, fun stuff.. :headbang:
bagman67
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So with no intent to be rude, I want to ask you something, Skuttlefunk -
Is the reason there is so much lumber in the upper bout that you need enough lumber to attach and stabilize the neck on those deep-deep cutaway basses? Otherwise, I find it hard to support the choice as a matter of pure aesthetics - in other words, it's not my cup of tea, visually. I do think it's totally cool that you're making custom stuff for folks with custom tastes, but my pref. is for something a little closer to traditional.
Peace
Bagman
Is the reason there is so much lumber in the upper bout that you need enough lumber to attach and stabilize the neck on those deep-deep cutaway basses? Otherwise, I find it hard to support the choice as a matter of pure aesthetics - in other words, it's not my cup of tea, visually. I do think it's totally cool that you're making custom stuff for folks with custom tastes, but my pref. is for something a little closer to traditional.
Peace
Bagman
SkuttleFunk
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no rudeness taken Bagman - it's good to ask questions 
the single-cut styled design is a niche market within the bass world, and something I rarely see copied in the guitar world. I guess the closest guitars typically get to a sinle-cut design is a Les Paul or Telecaster, but both of these fall far short of connecting with the neck past the 12th fret on the bass side. the famed Anthony Jackson is typically credited with the origin of both the 6-string conra bass (first built for him by Ken Smith) and the single-cut design (first built for him by Fodera)
most of what's happening with this design style is aesthetic, but I'll also note that there is a significant increase in neck stiffness due to the extended mating area ... how this impacts the instrument's tone is a great topic if you have weeks of time to kill and are wanting to instigate a tone war - so I'll simply focus my answers in a way that avoids addressing any tonal characteristics this type design may impart
another great feature of this design is that there is less wasted expensive figured top wood, if the bass was to have such a top, since the area typically cut away for the upper horn is left intact
would I personally play one of these basses ... well, definitely not to a blues jam ... but I can think of occasions where stepping out with something visually different can be a good thing. with the construction details inherent to this design, I sure wouldn't need to worry about flailing around on stage and damaging the structure of my bass
all the best,
R
the single-cut styled design is a niche market within the bass world, and something I rarely see copied in the guitar world. I guess the closest guitars typically get to a sinle-cut design is a Les Paul or Telecaster, but both of these fall far short of connecting with the neck past the 12th fret on the bass side. the famed Anthony Jackson is typically credited with the origin of both the 6-string conra bass (first built for him by Ken Smith) and the single-cut design (first built for him by Fodera)
most of what's happening with this design style is aesthetic, but I'll also note that there is a significant increase in neck stiffness due to the extended mating area ... how this impacts the instrument's tone is a great topic if you have weeks of time to kill and are wanting to instigate a tone war - so I'll simply focus my answers in a way that avoids addressing any tonal characteristics this type design may impart
another great feature of this design is that there is less wasted expensive figured top wood, if the bass was to have such a top, since the area typically cut away for the upper horn is left intact
would I personally play one of these basses ... well, definitely not to a blues jam ... but I can think of occasions where stepping out with something visually different can be a good thing. with the construction details inherent to this design, I sure wouldn't need to worry about flailing around on stage and damaging the structure of my bass
all the best,
R
SkuttleFunk
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a lot has been accomplished since my last post ... here's a few things specific to the single-cut
I cut a proofing heel and rear contour sample to validate the playability and comfort in the upper register. I can play all the way past the 24th fret without my hand bumping into the body - perfect!
I've begun upgrading the CNC to accommodate a 0.022"D end mill for cutting the fret slots parallel to the fretboard contour. Big companies mass producing necks utilize a gang saw; W used to used one of these, not sure if they still do. gang saws are expensive if you're not a machinist with machinist tools, so the alternat is to use a slotting bed on a tablesaw or the CNC with a micro sized end mill. the table saw is less accurate, leaves a flat bottom in the fret slot (big gap in the center) due to the slot being cut before the radius is applied, and slots cut closer to the nut have a larger gap between the bottom of the fret tang and the slot (all due to geometry)
I've been refining my fab workflows and accompanying hold-down tooling, and am in process of proofing the first couple of necks to verify the workflows and CNC tool paths. I should have the first proofing neck completed in the coming two weeks, after which I'll move forward with a couple production units
here's a couple 1-piece proofing blanks on the CNC table. all production necks will be 3+ piece construction, but for validating the tool paths and workflows these 1-piece blanks are just fine. FWIW I get a pair of blanks out of a 2" thick master blank
in it's first CNC step, the back side of the neck is machined to a tight tolerance
then flipped and aligned via pins onto an elevated hold-down block
so it has a consistant reference location for additional machining
its at this above process step where the fretboard gluing face is machined to tolerance, the trussrod and stiffening bar slots are routed, and additional alignment pin holes are drilled
more to come ...
all the best,
R
I cut a proofing heel and rear contour sample to validate the playability and comfort in the upper register. I can play all the way past the 24th fret without my hand bumping into the body - perfect!
I've begun upgrading the CNC to accommodate a 0.022"D end mill for cutting the fret slots parallel to the fretboard contour. Big companies mass producing necks utilize a gang saw; W used to used one of these, not sure if they still do. gang saws are expensive if you're not a machinist with machinist tools, so the alternat is to use a slotting bed on a tablesaw or the CNC with a micro sized end mill. the table saw is less accurate, leaves a flat bottom in the fret slot (big gap in the center) due to the slot being cut before the radius is applied, and slots cut closer to the nut have a larger gap between the bottom of the fret tang and the slot (all due to geometry)
I've been refining my fab workflows and accompanying hold-down tooling, and am in process of proofing the first couple of necks to verify the workflows and CNC tool paths. I should have the first proofing neck completed in the coming two weeks, after which I'll move forward with a couple production units
here's a couple 1-piece proofing blanks on the CNC table. all production necks will be 3+ piece construction, but for validating the tool paths and workflows these 1-piece blanks are just fine. FWIW I get a pair of blanks out of a 2" thick master blank
in it's first CNC step, the back side of the neck is machined to a tight tolerance
then flipped and aligned via pins onto an elevated hold-down block
so it has a consistant reference location for additional machining
its at this above process step where the fretboard gluing face is machined to tolerance, the trussrod and stiffening bar slots are routed, and additional alignment pin holes are drilled
more to come ...
all the best,
R
DangerousR6
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Pretty cool Skuttle... :icon_thumright:
SkuttleFunk
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the neck shaft perimeter has been trimmed. I did a smooch of rasp/sanding clean-up that I'd typically do after the fretboard had been attached so the images would be cleaner
as is clearly obvious - the headstock still needs to have the tuner holes drilled and the outline cut. that requires another hold-down tool to be built ... and that's a project for next week.
once the headstock positioning tool and headstock are completed, I'll engage on the fretboard shaping hold-down tooling ... and then begin work on the first Maple/Maple FAI neck
all the best,
R
as is clearly obvious - the headstock still needs to have the tuner holes drilled and the outline cut. that requires another hold-down tool to be built ... and that's a project for next week.
once the headstock positioning tool and headstock are completed, I'll engage on the fretboard shaping hold-down tooling ... and then begin work on the first Maple/Maple FAI neck
all the best,
R
Those big boys look goony, but as a dedicated fretless player I can sure appreciate anything that would add to the basic stability of the platform. Not so much the neck wobbling because of inadequate support or a cheap trussrod, but the whole bass wiggling around some for whatever reasons. You get a definitive sinking feeling at a gig when the notes...just...won't...stay... put. If you watch a good (electric) fretless player they've always got the body clamped pretty tight one way or another, even some serious chest-rockers like Jack Bruce or ridiculous monster Robertino Pagliari (who forced me back to fretless several years back):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOY_9nbRetw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOY_9nbRetw
